James Stewart

Big Jimmy

James Stewart

I am Jimmy Stewart a retired Park Ranger from Glasgow.My lucky day Friday 13 April 2007 when I leave for a two month visit to India to photograph a christening having just returned from India after photographing a wedding.

Here we are enjoying Glasgow and the weather is very fine. Ruby and I had a day out at the Falkirk wheel with two friends George, Preya and baby Lesa. This is a wheel that lifts two boats canal boats up the 35m difference between two canals the Forth & Clyde and Union by lifting two boats quickly and simply as possible. The Millennium Link as it is called was an ambitious £84.5m project with the objective of restoring navigability across Scotland on the historic Forth & Clyde Canal and the Union Canals, providing a corridor of regenerative activity through central Scotland. One major challenge in this objective was the fact that the Forth and Clyde Canal lay 35m (115ft) below the level of the Union Canal. Historically, the two canals had been joined at Falkirk ... read more

Well here we are living in Glasgow and soon it will be 7th June 2008 our first wedding anniversary. When I brought Ruby to the UK in the Month of November I soon realised I had made a mistake as she was felling the cold of our winter as well as home sickness. So we returned to Kerala on the 17th February 2008, where we rented a house for 3 months. Once again I was back in India during the hottest season 35c with some out of season rain resulting in high humidity and many mosquitoes. However, we had some fun as there are many festivals this time of year and most afternoons Ruby’s brother Joseph brought us very welcome ice cream. We returned to Glasgow 17th of May 2008 Ruby is much happier than before, ... read more

23 November 2007 We arrived in London and and it was -3C and we had to wait 30 minutes for a taxi. Poor Ruby was not shivering, she was shaking with the cold. The taxi came and had to stop 3 times as she was sick not a good start for living in the UK. We only stayed two nights in London after planning to stay three nights Well we are settled in Glasgow, Ruby still suffers from the cold but the Scottish weather has got a bit milder. Ruby wants to go home as she is home sick and the climate is making her ill. However, I have a young Indian couple Priyer and George who have a lovely baby called Lisa. George and his wife have supported Ruby during her illness as did the ... read more

Hi Everyone Ruby and I went to Munnar for the weekend, we were driven there by our friend auto driver Jose but not in his auto. He has a friend who has a Omni (Suski 7 seater) When we got to Munnar I wanted to stay in the Eastend Hotel a super deluxe hotel our auto driver said "it is too expensive! I said I will be the judge of the expense as Indian and westerners have different idea of what is expensive and as this was Ruby's first experience of staying in a hotel I wanted it to be a good experience. So Ruby and I booked in to the Galaxy room is was a big room with seating for six people and one small double bed, When Ruby and I went to bed and ... read more

What is Happening As you may have read after my marriage to Ruby I had to return to the UK on the 4th July, as my Indian visa was expiring and can not be renewed while in India. I left India thinking Ruby would follow me on the 15th September. However, I received a phone call from India "Ruby can not get UK visa" so I had to fly back out to India to find out what the problem was. I have a travel agent called Bobby who is applying on Ruby's behalf to the British consulate for Ruby's visa the fee for the visa is £500 a large some for me, but a huge some of money 43,200 rupees here in India. Bobby was reluctant to apply for a visa for Ruby because if the ... read more

Going home soon Asia » India » Kerala » Angamaly By Big Jimmy June 30th 2007 Well my dear friends this my be the last Blog from India as my visa is expiring I fly back to the UK on Wed where I will be staying in London for two days before returning to Glasgow 6/7 July Roobie that is the correct spelling follows 14th August and will be in London for 2/3 days before coming home to Glasgow. I must apologize for using the a Travel Blog and I was not traveling outside Kerala. I would appreciate any comments bad/good as to the content of the writing. or anything. I look forward to bringing Roobie to meet the friends. Till we meed again After Some T... read more

25th June 2007 Eighteen days after the wedding and the excitement is all over and I now have a dutiful wife who even puts toothpaste on my toothbrush for me, is a good cook her aim in life is to look after me these Kerala girls sure know how to look after the husband Ruby is no different from other Kerala girls at times she embarrass me with the attention I get. I hope she never joins the women’s liberation movement! I have traveled all over Kerala meeting Ruby’s relations including a four hour overcrowded train journey to a brother in law who's house that was a quarter mile from the road and as this is now the rainy season the ground was knee deep in flood water. On the train back I met a ... read more

It’s all over Thursday 7th June Well it’s all over Ruby belongs to me. Ruby’s family put on a great function as they say here. Ruby and I were sat on a throne and served a meal of chicken curie, rice and pineapple. Then I set off with my bride to Nixy’s parents house , to yet another function we were sat on thrones set out with flower arrangements on the roof of the house, cool breezes coming off the quarry filled with water and we had a repast of chicken birranie Report to the Police Mrs. Ruby Stewart has to report to her village police station to get clearance for her passport application this is the start of the road .to get her residence visa allowing her to stay in the United Kingdom. Well ... read more